A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 157

Picture Book: Talking Walls

Author: Margy Burns Knight

Illustrator: Anne Sibley

Summary: This unusual book is an overview of various walls around the world that were built to separate, to commemorate, to protect, or for prayer. Fourteen different walls are described here. Their histories and purposes are explained as are some of the cultural contexts then and now. Among them you’ll find The Great Wall of China, The Western Wall in Jerusalem, The Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC, The Great Zimbabwe, and Cuzco, Peru where there are many Incan walls intact. In the back you’ll find a world map placing the walls and more details.

Hanna’s Comments: Consider checking out the sequel to this book: Talking Walls: The Stories Continue or better yet, the newest edition which combines these two texts in a more read-aloud friendly format: Talking Walls: Discover Your World. The last page of the book I’ve pictured here asks a series of questions that encourage deeper thinking on the theme of walls: Do you know about other walls? Are they visible or invisible? Are they monuments? Do they tell stories? How are walls built? Do they need to stay up or come down? Do you build walls? Would you tear them down? Can you imagine a world without walls?

Publisher & Date of Publication: Tilbury House, 1992

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 8 and up, 3 and up

# of Pages: 40

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: None at present

PBT Category: Non Fiction, Award Winner, Pre 2K

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: Africa, America, ancestors/matriarchs/patriarchs, anxiety/worry, armor, art, artifacts, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Central America/South America, community, creativity/imagination/beauty, diversity, Earth/world, enemies, Europe, exclusion/inclusion, exile/separation/walls, fear, geography, heritage, hiding/isolation, humanity, insecurity, memories/remembering/ritual/tradition, Mexico, North America, prayer, protecting/protection, religious differences, reverence, safe place/sanctuary, time/timing/over time, worship

Scripture Connections: Marching around the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6); nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8:38-39)

Idea(s) for Application:  This book and the later editions would be great to use in a homeschool or private school where you are allowed to comment on the religious nature of some of these walls and compare & contrast them with your faith traditions. For a church, this book would be a good resource for anyone planning a series of lessons with the theme of walls or a lesson on the wall of Jericho from the book of Joshua.